2008 blasts: LG OSD deposes as prosecution witness

New Delhi: An officer on special duty (OSD) with the city`s Lieutenant Governor (LG) today told a Delhi court trying the 2008 serial blast case that as Deputy Secretary (Home), he had granted sanction to prosecute the accused "after due application of the mind."
While deposing as a prosecution witness, LG`s OSD
Vishwendra told Additional Sessions Judge Narinder Kumar that
it was not correct to say he gave the sanction without
application of mind.

Vishwendra was posted as Deputy Secretary (Home) from
March 2009 to August 16, 2011.

He said that "on June 5, 2009, the file pertaining to the
grant of sanction under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act
came to his office.

"I perused the record and issued sanction for prosecution
of Mansoor Ashgar Peerbhoy, Mubin Kadar Sheikh, Asif
Bashiruddin" and the sanction was communicated to various
agencies concerned.
He said similar sanction was granted for prosecution of
Shahzad Ahmed, Salman and others.

Vishwendra said material which was taken into
consideration for grant of sanction included documents made
available by the Delhi Police.

A series of blasts had rocked the national capital on
September 13, 2008, killing 26 people and injuring 135 others.

The trial of the case is being conducted via video-
conferencing as 11 of the 13 accused are lodged in Sabarmati
jail in Gujarat while two are lodged here in Tihar Jail.

All the accused are facing trial under various sections
of the Indian Penal Code, including those for waging war
against the government of India, criminal conspiracy and
murder and under the Explosive Substances Act and the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act.